A/N: This takes place a little over a year after what Leo had gone through with Karai in The Tender Trap. If you read that story all of this will make perfect sense. If you haven't read it, that's okay, but I recommend it! ;-D I promised a Mikey centric fic and here it is. I hope you enjoy it and as always please REVIEW! I live for those reviews!

Mikey's Girl

Chapter 1 – Getting Away

Donatello paced restlessly within the small space he had between his mattress and computer desk. His duffle bag sat near the door. He eyed it as he stepped, turned, took two steps, turned. He stopped. He shook his head, marched over to the bag, unzipped it and dumped the contents out on top of his mattress. He folded his arms in satisfaction as his eyes roved over the books, notepads and pencils, tools, toothbrush, and small towels, along with odd bits of circuit boards and wiring that he'd planned on bringing.

"I'm not going," he said to the mess.

Michelangelo burst into his room. A pair of sunglasses were on top of his speckled forehead. His overnight bag, bulging at the seams hung over one shoulder and across his plastron.

"You ready to go?" He asked happily, his smile dying on his face as he spotted the unpacked items littering Donatello's bed. He dropped his bag with a thud onto the floor.

"Donnie, you aren't packed yet? She'll be here any second." He looked from Donatello's bed back to his brother. "Here, lemme help," he said in an exasperated, parental tone. He crouched and began shoving his belongings into Donatello's bag.

Donatello grabbed his arm. Michelangelo frowned up at him.

"I'm not going, Mikey."

"What?" His blue eyes were crestfallen.

"There is no way that I'm going. Period. End of story."

Michelangelo stared at him, his frowned deepening. He opened his mouth wide and hollered, "MASTER SPLINTER!"

The skyscrapers eventually gave way to long stretches of factories and ugly looking apartments crowded one on top of the other with barely anything in between except for narrow alleyways filled with rats, homeless people, garbage and empty, dented garbage cans. Slowly, after hours on the road, the congestion eased into the crowded and sprawling suburbs surrounding the city, separate from, but still part of the urban sprawl. Until finally, nature worked its way back into the dreary manufactured human world. They felt the air change and one look out the windows of the van found the highway surrounded by stretches of green country, interrupted only by the rows of plowed fields and the occasional farm house as the Hamato family joined April and her soon to be husband, Casey up to her great aunt's farm.

April drove the van, had insisted that Splinter sat up front to enjoy a better view. The wind rippled his fur back and April glanced sideways at him with a smile. He seemed so much more relaxed now that they were out of the city and he could sit back and enjoy the ride in peace. In the back Leonardo sat, quiet and brooding, obedient but distant, while Donatello sat much the same next to him, arms folded over his chest.

Michelangelo continued to lean forward between the seats to constantly change radio stations, breaking out in song whenever a tune came on that he recognized. He was positively humming with excitement. He was overjoyed to be leaving the lair.

They'd all agreed that a change in scenery would be just the thing for Leonardo's state of mind. After being betrayed by Karai, captured and tortured by her father, just over a year had past and Leonardo healed from his physical wounds but hadn't quite come back to them mentally or emotionally. It was April's idea and though Donatello strongly protested the trip, in the end Splinter knew the benefits would be just what his family needed. Secretly, he hoped for more bonding time with his eldest son. Much damage had been done to their relationship because of Leonardo's pursuits of Karai. But that was behind them now. His heart was hopeful and lighter than it had been in months. Behind them in a battered pick-up, Casey and Raphael followed.

"Is that it?" Mikey pointed and April leaned out of the way, smiling.

"Yep, the farm is just up the road from here. You excited, Mikey?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"Well, yeah I am! You said there's a lake and a fishing pond, right?"

"M-hm. The pond attracts ducks, so you can go feed them. There's fish and frogs and probably some turtles, too."

"Maybe I'll meet a girlfriend, huh." He nudged April and bust out laughing. April chuckled but Splinter only turned his head and stared out the window as the rolling hills spotted with groves of trees faded into the distance.

Raphael jumped down from the truck. He stretched and twisted and tilted his head up to one side to get a better look at the farm house looming before them.

"Nice."

Casey came around, lowered the back of the truck and began pulling their bags and luggage towards himself.

"Needs some work, but there's plenty of room for everyone."

Donatello and Leonardo appeared next to Casey and grabbed some of their gear. Michelangelo's excited voice drifted from where he and Splinter were talking to April.

"Plenty of room, eh?" Raph asked, "and how would you know?"

Casey shrugged, a coy smile spread across his lips. "Uh, well, let's just say this ain't my first trip up here with Freckles."

He winked at Raphael and turned, hauled two large duffle bags up on his shoulders, heading for the house. Leonardo followed behind him like a ghost. Raphael's gaze traveled to Donatello who stood frozen staring at the strap in his hand. The look on his face could've curdled milk. He stepped up to his brother.

"Hey, Donnie, you gonna be okay?"

Donatello's head turned partially towards Raphael. "I didn't want to come, Raph. I asked Splinter, I…I begged him not to make me come here."

Raph sighed and looked over the top of the truck as April swiped a hand at Casey's head, laughing as she then chased him up the stairs to the front porch.

"He said we had to be here, together. For Leo."

"That's right, Donnie. We're here for Leo. Remember that, got it? You're gonna have to man up here and accept the facts. She's with Casey now. That's that." He patted his shoulder and the motion was not unkind, Donatello nodded and blinked. Then Raph grabbed a couple of bags and threw them over his wide shoulders, the two brothers made their way up to the house.

Mikey came sliding down the banister of the staircase. He landed with a flourish, but then grabbed the back of his legs.

"Oh man, bad idea. I…I think I might've gotten some splinters back here."

"Splinters, in your ass?" Casey asked then barked out a laugh, slapping his thigh. Splinter rolled his eyes slightly and moved up the stairs to help April setting up their bedrooms. Donatello closed his eyes and took in a deep steady breath as he went up the stairs to find his room. Maybe there'd be a lock on the door and he could just stay inside there the entire time.

"Hey, April, I'm gonna go check out that turtle pond, 'kay?"

"You remember where I told you it was?" she called down from the upstairs hallway.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded in a poor attempt at a country accent. He chuckled and patted Leonardo's arm as he stepped around him and back out into the bright afternoon light.

The sun felt warm and so good against his skin. He raised his arms up and held them wide with a beaming smile as he walked down the slightly sloping path towards the pond. He then brought his hands up behind his head and continued this way, staring up at the blue sky, the rounded mounds of clouds drifting by and relishing the sound of insects and birds singing as opposed to humans cursing and breaks squealing and police car's sirens. This was just like heaven.

The pond came into view. It was only seventy or eighty feet across, but seemed deep in the center. Cattails and thick reeds grew along one side, the other was flat and perfect for a picnic. Michelangelo decided that's what they'd do tomorrow. A picnic outside, just like normal people! A large twisting tree spread its branches out over the water and an old rope dangled from one particularly large branch.

He let out a whoop! and ran for the rope. He took a running start then leapt into the air. His strong hands latched onto the rough material of the rope. His momentum carried him up and out until he released his hold and sailed out over the middle of the water.

"Woooo-eeeeeee!" he hollered as his body crashed down in a mighty splash.

It was much deeper than he expected. He scissored his legs and gracefully broke the surface, splashing and spitting a long stream of water out of his mouth as he did. The sound of someone laughing caught his attention. He looked about, his head snapping around, expecting to see April; never expecting to find anyone else. Besides, April had said there were no neighbors for miles. But there she was sitting on the flat edge of the pond. A girl, a strange girl, he never saw before, sat laughing at him. He stammered and struggled and panicked.

Oh shit! Oh shit! He was in big trouble now! For a second he thought maybe he'd dive back down and sit down there on the bottom of the pond until she got bored and left. He wondered how long that would take. He could hold his breath a long time, but still… He decided against it and instead slowly swam to the shallow edge, then dripping, walked slowly towards her.

She seemed unimpressed with his form and stared openly with a wide smile spread across a freckled, pale face. Her hair, almost white in the sunlight, blew out and off her shoulders in long straight locks. Her arms were bare and crossed over her bent knees. She wore a long draping dress with little blue and yellow flowers patterned across the fabric. Her feet were bare, Michelangelo noticed how her toes held the grass between them. Michelangelo swallowed and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Uh, hi?"

"Hi there. You're the biggest turtle I've ever seen come outa there." Her voice was young, maybe fourteen or fifteen. She pointed at him. "And you talk. That's a first. Are you an alien or something? I once thought I saw a UFO fly over my grandparent's farm house. No one believed me though. They thought I was goin' crazy again or something. You believe in aliens?"

Michelangelo blinked the water from his eyes. "Uh, yes?" He crossed in front of her and fought the urge to bolt. Instead, he moved slowly through the grass and stopped not far from her. He glanced around. A couple of crows called out but other than that it was quiet and still. Michelangelo felt a tingle go up his spine.

"You alone?"

She rubbed her chin against her forearm, eyes glazed and distant and nodded. "Yeah, always am."

"Well, I should get going, uh um, back to my spaceship…" he brought his hands together and pantomimed a wavering ship flying upwards, "…back to Jupiter, where all us turtle men live."

She giggled and he froze. The sound of her voice was like music. He felt his heart flutter.

"You're funny. I know you're not from Jupiter. I'm not stupid."

"No. I…I didn't mean that. I just…I have to go."

She watched him silently as he turned, then turned back and waved before spinning around and jogging down the trail, eventually breaking into a wild run.

Oh shit. I'm in so much trouble.

A/N: Well? How 'mah doin'?